Liv in Kenya

Just returned from a week-long homestay in Kericho, Kenya. It was an incredible, and also quite difficult, experience. I stayed with a family who belong to the Kipsigis ethnic group, a sub group of the Kalenjin people who inhabit the Rift Valley. My mom was a primary school teacher, my dad a tea farmer, and my sister a maternity doctor. I went to school with my mom, plucked tea on the farm, attended church with my family, roasted maize over a bonfire, and went to the market. Many people in the community rarely, if ever, saw white people. Walking through the market and having every person's eyes immediately fixed on me was a feeling I'll never forget.  We met our parents at a ceremony involving lots of dancing and chai. I was given the name of Chebet, meaning "one who was born during the daytime" upon joining their family.  All the host families were gifted avocado trees. We planted ours together the first evening. My sister, Lorraine, and I before she had to leave for...

 The past few days have been wonderfully busy with Swahili classes, exploring the compound and surrounding suburb of Karen, reading in the sun, and getting to go for a few runs around the neighborhood! We went to a restaurant called The Carnivore with our KSP professors. They served us crocodile, chicken gizzard, ostrich meatballs, and ox balls. I also had my first Kenyan beer, called Tusker, which most Kenyans prefer to be served warm. Definitely a restaurant experience to remember.  Tomorrow we're heading to our rural homestays for a week where we won't have reliable WiFi or cell service, so next update will come upon return.   Eating lots of fresh fruit for breakfast, and chai is a staple throughout the day.  The monkeys are getting a bit bolder, but have kept their distance so far. Having lot's of fun watching them play around the compound though.  Drying our socks on the window rack!  Isaiah, the compound chef, made us a delicious traditional Kips...

  After a long flight we arrived at the St. Lawrence compound in Karen, Nairobi! Everyone has been so welcoming and the Karen suburb is beautiful. Don't have many pictures yet, but we explored Nairobi with a couple of local college students and visited the market. Todays takeaways: the driving is chaotic, the fresh fruit is amazing, and don't trust the monkeys.  First glimpse of Kenya from the plane! And some compound pictures...